Speak
by featherstofly
Summary: In order to change something, sometimes you need to speak up. A selective mute, Shana Parker lost her will to talk a long time ago. When sucked into the Naruto world, however, she must learn to search for the strength inside of herself to survive. Set across the timespan of about eight years, starting from about three years before Naruto stretching to Shippuden.
1. Nineteen

**Author's Note: THIS IS A REPOST.** Fanfiction would not allow me to update the original story, due to some sort of glitch in the system, so I had to delete the old story and repost it. In case of any misunderstandings that may happen, the title and story has no ties to the novel _Speak _by Laurie Halse Anderson.

**Song: **Vanilla Twilight by Owl City

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**Speak**

**Chapter One: Nineteen**

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_Wind._**  
**

The breeze stirred her hair, wafting the scent of earth toward the woman's nose. She took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp March air. The breeze died down.

Had it really been seven years already? Seven years since she last saw him? She still remembered his smell, a mixture of peaches and apricots, his two favorite fruits. His strong arms were wrapped around her, beating heart next to her ear as she laid her head on his chest. His voice was rugged and deep, yet soothing at the same time...

The memories were still there, though much of it had faded over the years. They had become worn, washed-out from being replayed over and over again. Everything had happened so fast…

She glanced down at the gravestone. They had tried to convince her not to come, not to trouble herself with such matters on her nineteenth birthday, but their efforts had been in vain. She had heard him calling.

_Derek Parker._

_Devoted Husband and Beloved Father to Meghan and Shana Parker._

_May angels guide you._

Her lips formed silent words that the world would never hear.

_I miss you._

She hung her head, wrapping her thin jacket around her tighter. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes and she swept a hand across them, hiding the salty drops before they fell. Her heart clenched. Seven years without a father at her side had been more painful than she could imagine.

Feeling the sadness overwhelm her, she turned on her heel and left without another word.

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**Word Count: 257**

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**I decided it's been too long since I've sat down and written a story, so _this _happened. To clarify some questions, this is a Naruto story. The first chapter is simply a prologue. Action will be coming up soon.**

**A chapter will be posted every week, usually over the weekend, but I may post two chapters in a week on some occasions.**

******Reviews are motivation. Criticism is loved. Favorites and follows will be appreciated as well.**

**xfeatherstofly**


	2. Snow

**Author's Note: **This is sort of a filler/background chapter that's supposed to set the mood(ish). The real action doesn't really start until the third or fourth chapter, so feel free to skip this one if it gets too boring. (I find it rather boring and I'm the author, but you guys've waited long enough for another chapter.) Take in mind that this is a bit slower, but things will speed up soon.

**Song:** Bubbly by Colbie Caillat

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**Speak**

**Chapter Two:** **Snow**

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_Music._

It always spoke to her, granting her body with actions that flowed together smoothly.

_It was her voice._

A full spin here, a graceful leap there—the music seemed to whisper directions into her ear and she glided across the glossy surface of the wooden dance floor. Dance was her _language. _Nothing else mattered; it was just the melody wrapping itself around her body and enabling her to let loose and forget about everything.

_It was her escape—_

And then it was over. The passion that she had felt a moment ago disappeared, vanished completely without a trace. She felt tired all of a sudden. Her muscles ached, chest heaving as she gulped in mouthfuls of air. Staring at her figure in the mirror, she slowly fingered the loose ends of her flopping bun.

A loud clap sounded from the doorway of the room and her head shot toward noise, eyes wide with surprise.

"Nicely done. Care to dance some more?" A young man was leaning on the doorframe, hands shoved deep into his front pockets and watching Shana with a lighthearted expression. His cheeks, lips, nose, and ears were ruddy from the chilly air outside and he was breathing heavily as well. Dressed in a brown parka and jeans that were slightly wet toward the bottoms, his blond locks were mussed and sprinkled with snow, proof that he had been involved in some sort of scuffle recently. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards in amusement at her reaction.

_Hello, Devin, _she signed with her hands, a gentle smile breaking upon her face. Devin tilted his head lightly to one side before pushing himself off the entrance and standing up straight.

"Hey. You almost done yet?"

She nodded in response and he ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, then. Cool. I was wondering if you wanted to grab something to eat, y'know, or something like that. Oh, and Mellissa said that she wanted to meet up with you at three."

Shana nodded once again to symbolize a 'yes' and he grinned. "Great. I'll just, uh, wait for you out here…"

She turned off the music and yanked her iPod from the cord before placing it in her bag. In a matter of minutes she had finished changing and soon appeared at the glass doorway of the dance studio, warm boots now covering her feet and a bomber jacket and scarf warming her body and neck. Locking the door to the studio, she tested the handle to make sure it was secure before resting her hands in the depths of her pockets.

Seeing that she was ready to go, Devin held the door open for her before the pair hunched up as a cold gust of wind hit them. It was near the end of March already, but the freezing winter air had stayed behind, as had the snow and ice. Shana shivered lightly before watching her hot breath rise up in steam.

"So are you going to the Sakura-con this year?" her companion asked as they finally entered the warmth of the small café on the college campus.

_No. _She placed her hands back in her pockets.

Devin raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

She only shrugged in response.

"Maybe you should. You know I'm not a hardcore Naruto fan. Heck, I doubt Mellissa would even call me a fan, but I'm still cosplaying." He nudged her in the side playfully. "You should go. Mel would kill you if you didn't."

Shana pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"Suit yourself," he said with a quirk of his lips. "But don't say that I didn't warn you. You know how she's like." Turning to the cashier, he glanced up at the menu before placing an order. "I want a espresso and one of those cranberry muffins. Oh, and a small café latte." He glanced sideways at Shana, a lopsided smile on his face. "Did I get it right?" A simple smile from her told him yes.

"$5.80" the cashier stated, already motioning to the other workers to help get the ordered items ready. Shana rummaged around in her bag for her wallet when a hand on her arm stopped her. She glanced up at Devin.

"It's on me," he said. 'Don't argue' was clearly written on his expression. "Besides, I owe you one from last time, so now we're even, right?" The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. She reluctantly dropped her search at let a soft curve come over her lips as well.

_Thanks_, she signed.

He shrugged. "No biggie. Just returning a favor."

The two headed out of the café a few moments later, each gripping their steaming drinks in a hand. The woman took a small sip, letting the hot liquid almost burn her tongue before feeling the warm sensation as it slid down her throat.

"Want some?" He was holding out some of his muffin to her. She shook her head and smiled.

_Nah, I'll be fine._

"'Kay, then. I'll walk you to your dorm if you want," he offered as he took a bite of his food.

Shana hesitated for a moment before signing, _If it's not too much trouble. I mean, I don't want you to feel like you have to walk me—_

He swallowed, shaking his head. "No, it's fine. I want to walk you there."

A light blush crept over her cheeks and she stared down at the snow-dusted ground, wishing the cold temperature would cool her heating face.

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**Word Count: 922**

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**Meh. This chapter was just…****_meh._**** The next one'll be a whole lot better, I promise.**

**I apologize for the short chapter, but writer's block is still taking its toll on me. However, I've set up a poll on my profile. So far, the summary says that this story will be set a little ahead of Shippuden, when Naruto is about 14-15. However, I've been toying around with the idea of sending Shana in ****_before_**** Naruto even starts (making Naruto about 9 years old). If she goes in before Naruto, she'll be able to meet more characters. If not, then she won't meet as many.  
Please take the poll. It would help me tons with the next chapter and there ****_will_**** be a faster update. I promise that.**

**In case of any misunderstandings, Shana's thoughts are ****_italicized_**** and have ****_'' (quotations)_**** around them. Her signing (sign language) is represented by just ****_italics_****.  
Example:  
****_Thank you.  
'Thank you.'  
_****The first sentence would be what she would sign to someone. The second would be her thoughts.**

******Reviews are motivation. Criticism is loved. Favorites and follows will be appreciated as well.**

**xfeatherstofly**


	3. The Portal

**Author's Note: **Two updates within a week? Well, whaddaya know?

**Song: **Wunderkind by Alanis Morissette

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**Speak**

**Chapter Three: The Portal**

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It had been a day like any other, really, or she had expected it to be one, at least.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Shana reluctantly flung the covers off her warm body, exposing it to the biting cold. After a few moments, she blearily placed her feet on the floor and padded over to her roommate's nightstand. A glare was sent in the direction of the blue-and-white clock that was currently blaring loud enough to wake up the next room over. However, the girl that the alarm belonged to was still curled up in her sheets, breath coming out in shallow puffs.

_'Typical Mel. She never wakes up to her own alarms.'_

With a yawn, Shana removed the alarm clock in a swift motion and hit the 'off' button before setting it back down and shuffling into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she emerged, face a bit clearer and hair wound up into a bun. She glanced at the clock before gently shaking her friend's sleeping form.

"Oi, I'm sleeping, Shane," the redhead muttered before shifting around into a more comfortable position on the bed. She batted away the dancer's hand blindly. "Stop it."

Shana only smiled lightly and quietly cleared her throat before taking the alarm and placing it in front of Mellissa's semi-open eyes. The other female promptly ignored her. She made the same noise, only a bit louder and shaking the shoulder of the sleeping form.

"Whaddaya want?" Light grey-blue eyes slowly cracked open once more and finally focused on the object stuck in front of her face. In an instant, she sprang up and was immediately on her feet, her bright red hair mussed from hours sleep.

_"9:10! F*ck! I'm going to be late!" _

The loud cry tore from Mellissa's throat, soon followed by more cursing as she hurried into the bathroom. Shana hid a grin and had already moved to the closet, taking down the heavy Akatsuki cloak that her friend needed as well as the set of ninja clothing. The outfit was soon dumped onto Mellissa's bed. Sandals were swiped from the bottom of the closet, then tossed rather unceremoniously. A teal ring, blonde wig, and _kasa_ hat joined the shoes and clothing a few moments later.

_"How the f*cking hell am I supposed to dress in fifteen f*cking minutes and get to the Sakura-con on time?!_"

Mellissa ran out of the bathroom, a frantic, half-crazed look displayed across her face. The other female only pointed to the pile of clothes that had been selected from the closet, giving the redhead another small smile. Mellissa tried to crack a grin back in response, but quickly decided against it after another nervous glance at the clock and began to change into her cosplay outfit. Shana had to duck as her roommate's pajamas were suddenly flying across the room in her general direction.

"Help me get the makeup and nail polish, will ya, Shane?" she called. "It's in the bathroom cabinet. Second shelf." A grunt escaped from her lips as she tugged the mesh shirt over her head. "And please _hurry up.__"_

In what seemed to be record time, Mellissa was finally dressed completely from head to toe in a very convincing Deidara cosplay. The blonde wig was in place, long bangs falling across her left eye. Her right eye had been delicately outlined with Shana's eyeliner and she had popped in blue contacts to cover up her own blue-grey irises. The _kasa_ hat was perched on her head and the ring was on her right index finger. The only accessory on her that looked very _un_Deidara was the purple bag slung across her right shoulder and the car keys that were swinging around nervously on her finger. As she stepped out into the hallway, she smoothed the large Akatsuki cloak that hung to her ankles and glanced up at Shana's figure in the doorway.

"You sure you don't want to come?" she finally asked. "I mean, seriously. You're missing out on a lot."

Said girl shook her head firmly and signed a few sentences with her hands. _I'll be fine. Got a couple Naruto episodes to catch up on, anyway.__  
_

"Tch. You don't have to cosplay. You know that, right? Just throw something on and we'll go. Please?" Mellissa looked at her with pleading eyes.

Shana only pushed the girl gently in the direction of the dormitory door and gave her a wink.

_'Good luck, Mel.' _

"Aw, come on, Shane—"

The end of her sentence was cut off by a door being shut in her face. The redhead stared at the door for a couple of seconds, then sighed before turning on her heel and making her way out into the cold. She loved her friend—really, she did—but sometimes she found the silence from her a bit unnerving. In all truth, Mellissa really wished that the girl would be a bit more..._social. _She had a tendency to shy away from public events, though she was a dancer, and the fact that she was mute didn't exactly help with small talk.

A cheery grin made its way upon her face as she shrugged her shoulders and unlocked the doors to her car. At least she made a decent listener to talk to.

•••••••••••••

As soon as Mellissa had left, Shana retreated back into the bathroom, taking some clothes and a towel with her. The hot water began to run and she stepped into the shower, letting the streams of liquid beat against her back. Her hair was shampooed, rinsed, then covered with conditioner before being rinsed a final time. The girl slowly shut off the water and opened the door to the shower, toweling her hair. Her body was dried within a couple of minutes and she donned a pair of worn sweatpants and an old hoodie. Her freshly-washed hair in a ponytail, Shana rummaged around the kitchen for something edible before extracting a PopTart and grabbing a plate.

She headed back toward the shared room and started her laptop, plugging in the charger and ripping off the plastic wrapping of the PopTart. As soon as her desktop had popped up, she clicked on a browser and opened a new tab. The address to an anime website was quickly typed in and she settled down upon her bed, propping up her back with a pillow and began watching the screen intently.

•••••••••••••

_"Yahiko!" _

A pained cry sounded from a blue-haired woman, her tears mixing in with the streaming rain that seemed to pour endlessly from the clouded skies. Below, two figures—one with bright, orange hair and the other with a deep crimson stood in what seemed to be an embrace. There was a look of pure and utter shock, however, displayed clearly across the face of the redhead. A moment later, the orange-haired man fell to the ground, motionless. Above, a man with an appliance similar to a gas mask sneered cruelly.

"Kill him!"

The command rang out loud and clear above the pounding rain. Immediately, the ninja under the masked man's control let loose their kunai, letting the weapons shower upon the redhead. The attacked, however, only raised his hand and the kunai glanced back from an invisible barrier.

There was a quick blur of movement, almost impossible to catch, and suddenly the redhead appeared back at his position once again, this time with the woman. She crumpled to her knees at the sight of her orange-haired friend. The redhead's legs were covered in some kind of paper and a fire erupted from around his ankles, burning his flesh. Despite the pain, he stood upright, leveling a murderous glare at the man with the gas mask.

"Nagato!" The woman struggled to get to pull herself up from the ground.

"Konan, hold on to Yahiko and just stay put." Said male continued to stare straight ahead.

"Not bad, kid," the masked man admitted, though sarcasm and a slight hint of mockery be easily detected in his tone. "I'm surprised you were able to escape my fire attack."

Nagato's eyes seemed to change, becoming a light lavender with rings of pale grey. His gaze was deadly now, threatening his enemy with calm eyes.

"You're no ordinary kid. Those eyes..." The masked man furrowed his brow before smiling nastily. "Kill them all!" he roared toward his troops.

The ninja began to spring in the direction of the three, each with their weapons drawn and ready for slaughter. Nagato only made a few handsigns before slamming his hand into the ground, a hiss of smoke rising soon afterward.

_Kuchiyose: Gedo Mazo! _

A fist punched its way out of the ground, hitting a couple of ninja and knocking them out of the way. Konan's amber eyes widened in surprise.

"Nagato, _no! Don't!" _she shouted, trying to get her friend's attention. He only ignored her and continued the process.

Another hand came out of the earth, pushing itself up and letting loose a loud bellow of pain, one that matched the one Nagato was currently releasing. A wooden statue came into view, towering above everything else. Its eyes were covered and it continued to pull itself out of the soil.

The masked man narrowed his eyes, muttering in confusion, "What the hell is that?"

As if the answer his question, the statue roared again, this time in his direction. Black rods suddenly snapped out of the giant figure and pierced Nagato's back. He lurched forward in pain as the metal latched itself into his body. Panting heavily with his red hair plastered to his face, he reopened his eyes with the strange grey rings. He ground his teeth against the pressure of the statue's weight.

A snake-like creature lashed out from the statue and swept itself across the battlefield, sucking the life out of the ninja as soon as it touched them. As soon as the attacking men were wiped out, the snake stopped, still poised and alert for action.

"Nagato..."

Konan was supporting Yahiko on her shoulder and watching the redhead with something akin to awe and surprise in her expression, as well as a mixed amount of fear. He glanced back at her, noting the flurry of emotions that ran across her face.

"So you're the one pulling the strings now, eh? Your Rinnegan surprised me."

Nagato's head snapped up toward the voice. The masked man gazed back at him coldly before nodding. The snake suddenly let out another roar, matching its master's cry.

_Shunshin no jutsu! _

The gas mask man disappeared in a large puff of smoke, leaving the three behind. The mist cleared quickly, revealing nothing and Konan gave a visible sigh of relief, slumping down and holding Yahiko's body closer to her. Nagato, however, stood where he was. The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a smile, one that looked almost maniacal and he gave out short bark of laughter.

"I promise you, Yahiko..." He furrowed his brows for a moment. "No, I swear! I swear I will become God of this world! I swear I will teach them the true meaning of peace! I swear this, Yahiko! I will carry on your dream!"

•••••••••••••

At first it had felt like some sort of small tug at her leg. Shana had shrugged it off, immediately dismissing the feeling as a result of sitting in one position for too long, making her legs fall asleep. She set the laptop down and climbed out of bed, stretching and heading back into the kitchen. It was already 1:30 and she had skipped lunch, with only a PopTart to fill her stomach.

The brunette opened the cupboard in search of something edible to eat when the pull came again, this time sharper than before. A few moments later, it repeated itself. A frown slipped across her face and she shook her leg, figuring it was probably an upcoming muscle cramp. The tug came a _third_ time, and this one hurt, like someone had taken someone sharp and poked her foot with it. Again and again, the pulls came, each one more painful than the one before.

Taking a Snickers bar with her, she headed back to the warmth of her bed and sat down, propping up her leg. Shana inspected it carefully, checking for any visible or open wounds, but there were none. Another invisible stab attacked her foot and she visibly winced, slapping it in an attempt to get rid of the unpleasant feeling.

She turned back to her computer screen and—

_'W-what the hell?' _

It all happened in a flash. One moment she was sitting in the safety of her room, surrounded by blankets and pillows and the next...

She was hurtling through some white space, the blank cleanness of everything rushing into her vision. A feeling close to free-falling from some high distance above the ground was quickly identified. She was too frozen to do anything, too shocked, and her stomach began to tie itself into knots. The free-falling sickness only increased. Shana squeezed her eyes shut in terror.

_'Please don't let me die. Please don't let me die. I didn't do anything wrong, I swear! Oh my god, I don't want to die...' _

A cold feeling abruptly washed over her and she strained her ears, hearing some sort of splash. Something begin to drag her downwards and her movement slowed, as if she was in...

_'...Water?' _

Her eyes flew open and murky darkness surrounded her, the only light streaming in from the top. Her actions were sluggish as she struggled to kick her legs toward the surface. Panic rose up in her throat and she opened her mouth in a near-scream. Precious bubbles of air escaped from her lips.

_'I'm sinking. Oh my god. I'm going to d__ie—'_

Forcing her mouth to clamp shut, she began to swim to the light ahead. An object sank in the corner of her vision before it began to kick upward as well, swimming quickly in her direction. The figure grabbed her upper arm in a strong grip and pulled her along with it.

_'Let me go!'_

Shana thrashed around a bit before the figure—a male, by the looks of it—turned his gaze to her. He gave her a look that clearly showed that he wanted to help before continuing his journey toward the surface. In a few moments their heads broke above the water and she immediately let oxygen back into her lungs. Keeping her body weight supported on the ground, she closed her eyes and let the water drip down her face. Her breath came out in short gasps.

_'Where the hell am I? And why the hell was I _sinking_? What even happened?' _

Her blood froze as she heard someone finally speak. The voice was gruff, a ragged tenor, with a hint of steel in the tone.

"Who is she, Haku?"

_'...Oh, you have _got _to be kidding me.'_

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**Word Count: 2490**

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**********Aaaand here we are at the third chapter. It was a bit hard to write, since it's more of a transition, but the actual plot is beginning.**

**********The poll is still up on my profile. So far only two people have voted, and it's all been for before Shippuden, so I have indeed started before Shippuden. Care to guess who pulled Shana out of the water?**

**********Oh, and is was this chapter long enough? My chapters will usually be about this length (and possibly a bit longer, depending on how I'm feeling).**

**********Keep on reviewing, lovelies, and I'll keep on cranking out more chapters.**

**********Reviews are motivation. Criticism is loved. Favorites and follows will be appreciated as well.**

**xfeatherstofly**


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